A memorial scholarship fund has been established at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in honor of Clifford Fauk by his wife, Donna Falk; his two children, Mark Falk, a 1984 geological engineering graduate, and Joni Kachelhoffer, a 1981 civil engineering graduate; and other family and friends.
The Clifford Falk Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a School of Mines student with a grade point average in the range of 2.0 to 3.0. Preference will be given to students who are raising a family, including single parents. Recipients may receive the award for more than one year, and the first scholarship will be awarded for the 2009-10 academic year.
Shortly after starting high school, it was necessary for Falk to quit school and work on the family farm. He always regretted not finishing school and was adamant that his children would finish their educations. Although he was not a School of Mines alumnus, he had close ties to the university. He worked as an electrician and wired the Electrical Engineering Building and Physical Plant, and both of his children are School of Mines alumni.
This scholarship honors Falk's commitment to his family and work ethic, and his family hopes that the scholarship will provide the encouragement and subsequent support for students who are raising a family while pursuing a degree at the School of Mines.
